Kupchak: Lakers can build a championship team around Kobe Bryant

WASHINGTON — The Lakers are a better team with Kobe Bryant, obviously.

But will his two-year, $48.5 million extension ensure the Lakers enough financial flexibility to build a championship roster?

“I think we do,” Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said Tuesday in a conference call from Los Angeles. “The challenges are there. The collective bargaining agreement doesn’t make it easier for anybody. It’s restrictive and challenging. But yes, I do believe we can.”